‘I still have that zebra dress’: How Blondie’s Debbie Harry keeps rocking it at 78

This story is part of the February 25 edition of Sunday Life.See all 13 stories.

As frontwoman of iconic rock band Blondie, Debbie Harry doesn’t see any reason to stop doing what she loves. At 78, she’s still touring the world, with Blondie rocking stages at Glastonbury and Coachella last year.

The New York outfit will return to Australia in April to headline the Pandemonium Rocks festival alongside Alice Cooper and Deep Purple. Harry talks to Sunday Life about the forthcoming Blondie album, her friendship with designer Marc Jacobs and dancing with Naomi Watts.

How do you feel about your longevity in rock’n’roll?

It makes me feel a little bit of everything, to be honest. It’s wonderful we continue to get a great reception as a band, that the music is still meaningful to everyone and their lives. It is the most rewarding part of Blondie for me. I know I am very lucky to still be able to do what I do.

Would you say you’re a punk rock survivor?

Sometimes! I have moments of running through things in my mind, like what kind of songs Johnny Thunders from the New York Dolls would be writing if he was still around today, if he hadn’t passed so young. It feels good to still be making music. I was prerecording a segment for the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary show recently. After I came off the set, I had an idea for a new song, so my guitarist Chris Stein and I immediately started working on it. It’s food for life. I don’t think of it as survival, it’s more a thrill that we still have the love to keep doing this.

Which Blondie songs resonate most strongly with you?

In the Flesh became our first hit, and it happened first in Australia, so that meant a lot to us as a band. It’s a song I still love. But the song I treasure most is Heart of Glass. We ended our live shows with that song for many years, and it really reminds me of my relationship with Chris Stein and working with Australian producer Mike Chapman. When we started working with Mike, we broke into the mainstream big time. I think it’s why we’ve always had a soft spot for our Australian fans. They’ve been loyal to us.

Debbie Harry in Sydney in 1977.Credit: J ZAKARAS

Have you kept any outfits you wore on stage in the 1970s?

I saved as much as possible from the ’70s. I still have that zebra dress I wore in my early performances [she made it out of a pillowcase]. It’s one of the most recognisable of that era. I also have the pink lace-up dress I wore in the Plastic Letters video clip that went on to be copied for a Barbie doll. I have a little storage room at home, but it’s starting to overflow. I have a tonne of great band T-shirts, too – I love it when they get worn over and again and become really soft from washing and wearing. Chris and I always say we should put together a gallery show of our T-shirts – most of which we got from digging through piles of T-shirts in junk shops. My favourite looks from the ’70s were the camouflage and army-green pieces I wore a lot. Leather holds up, too.

You paid tribute to punk’s origins with your outfit at Glastonbury – a black micro-miniskirt and CBGB T-shirt. What’s on the cards for outfits when you tour Australia?

A great friend of ours is New York-based costume designer Kitty Boots – she is very involved in the stage costumes we wear. I have a few options she’s working on at the moment. The first is an art look – very colourful, like a rainbow – and the other is a mysterious outfit that has a dark pop mood to it. They’re custom-made garments and beautiful to wear. Kitty is a riot and terrific to work with – we’ve been friends for a long time now.

You recently sat in the front row at Marc Jacobs’ Spring/Summer 2024 ready-to-wear show in New York. Does fashion still excite you?

That show marked 40 years for Marc, who is an old friend. I am a huge fan of his clothing. He is a master creator, always very interesting in his approach, and he takes a lot of chances – I love that about him. He’s very humorous, with his oversized jackets and comical shoes, but he keeps everything beautiful. It’s the work of a genius. I love his rationale when it comes to design and it’s what makes clothing exciting for me.

What was the highlight of playing Coachella last year?

Performing with Nile Rodgers, because he produced my first solo album, KooKoo, in 1981. To be on stage performing Backfired together was an absolute highlight. Who would think we’d do this all these years on from being in a studio together? We also sang Rapture. Coachella is such a great festival. I want that energy again at Pandemonium.

“I’ve been doing this a while, so I know what it takes to sustain myself on stage.”Credit: Victor Demarchelier/AUGUST

How do you prepare for the long-haul flight to Australia?

Our shows are planned well in advance, so that helps me work out what is required of me. We always have plenty of rehearsal time, and I’ve been doing this a while, so I know what it takes to sustain myself on stage. Once I am in the touring frame of mind, I simply go with it. I can’t wait to perform for the Australian fans who come to sing the songs and have followed us over the decades. They really bring it all to life for me.

You’ve been working on new material for Blondie. Tell us about it.

Chris and I have written a bunch of good songs, and the sooner we get them out the better I am going to feel. We’ve finished recording an album, done the mixing, and are doing some remixes. It should be out in four months. It’s a very traditional Blondie album where we hit on a bunch of different styles.

Aside from music, what else would you like to do?

I’ve done a couple of voice-overs for films lately and would love to do more. A recent one was for a sci-fi film, So Unreal, directed by Amanda Kramer. I am particularly fascinated with sci-fi and watch lots of movies in that genre. Another voice-over job I am doing is recording horror versions of nursery rhymes. I am the voice of a tree! I also recently had a small part in an independent film called Catharsis. I try to keep doing the things I love and when something comes along I can relate to, that’s a decider for me.

We saw you dancing with Naomi Watts in New York on Instagram recently at the after-party for the launch of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.

Naomi is right up there, ahead of the pack. I’ve always loved her acting – I remember seeing her in Mulholland Drive and thinking she was marvellous. There’s one scene in that film where she goes from zero to 100 in an audition and you watch her go through this emotional transition and it’s really wonderful. She can do anything, but she can’t dance as well as me! Physically she looks like a delicate, fragile bird, and I am very muscular by comparison – the two of us are so physically opposite when dancing. But I love that she is real and a really nice person. We share a lot of close friends.

What has been the happiest time in your life?

The idea of happiness came to me after the Twin Towers came down – that terrible event in New York City in 2001 which changed everything. A few days after it happened, I stayed in the city and spoke to a lot of people. It was a quiet time and I was observant of what was happening around me. It was then that I realised how lucky I was to have been around in the 1970s, a great time in New York for clubs and bands. I never realised I was in the right place at the right time, that’s the truth of it, but that was a happy time for me.

Another time was in 2000, when I was performing at the Axis Theater near Sheridan Square in a play called Crave by Sarah Kane. I remember leaving the theatre and walking home and being on MacDougal Street in the West Village – my favourite area of New York because it’s the oldest – and I was hit with an enormous sense of satisfaction, joy and achievement. I remembered walking those streets as a teenager and wanting to be in theatre, to be an actress and to perform, and here I was. That memory stands the test for me.

Pandemonium Rocks: Melbourne, April 20; Sydney, April 25; Gold Coast, April 27; Bribie Island, April 28.

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